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Some weeks there really just isn't all that much to write about and I guess that this is one of them. Can you believe it, a time when I have little to say? It's been a mostly quiet week & I've had to work way too much. Oh well... As I am fond of saying, I only ACT like I'm retired!

The only real news was the major thunderstorm that blew through early Tuesday afternoon. We got almost 1.5 inches of rain in only about 90 minutes! On top of that we had 30-40 MPH gusts that blew down tree branches all over the place. It even hailed. I haven't seen it hail more than a couple of times in 10 years of living here in the Valley, but this time it really came down. Marble sized chunks of ice, falling out of the sky and melting almost instantly in the accompanying rain.

The lightning and thunder made for a spectacular snow. Luckily the power didn't go out. I know a few people who were actually out climbing when the storm started coming through. Hard to believe since it was announced in advance on TV, radio and even in the paper. All I can say is that I was glad I wasn't out there on the Whitehorse Slabs or the like.

There was one lightning bolt that came down just as the rain started that must have landed in the woods right between us & the cliff. The concussion was amazing and the dog was terrified. Reminded me of the storms that used to come across the St. Johns River every afternoon in the summers when I was growing up in Jacksonville, Florida. Pretty amazing displays of the power of nature.

Climber Determined To Top The Matterhorn On His Prosthetic Legs:
Here is an interesting article about double amputee Jerod Minich. He's New Jersey's version of Hugh Herr. Jerod does routinely travel to North Conway to go climbing. Jerod is planning on accompanying a friend on his 50th birthday quest to climb the Matterhorn. Recently Jerod was featured in a human interest story in the Morris County, NJ Daily Record newspaper. Here is the link to the online article:

I raised the IceCON rating to a 5 today. It's unusual to get a 5 rating this early in the season, but this one has certainly been special. All the climbs in the Amphitheater are IN, as is pretty much everything else at Frankenstein. It's really pretty impressive just how much ice there is out there right now, in spite of how sunny it is. Just goes to show what snow and cold will do for things. That said, we have a VERY BIG round of snow coming in on Saturday evening through early Monday. Predictions are for 2 feet, but if we even get half that it's a big deal. If you're planning on climbing on Sunday just be aware of what that much snow means and please drive safe on the way home.

Slideshow: Caroline George- on first ascents ice climbing in iceland and first ascents crack climbing in Ethiopia!
Sat. night @ 7:30 next to Flatbread Pizzeria.

* Silent auction filled with goods to help a local women's shelter!
* EMS Pancake Breakfast on Sunday! $5 or free to participants! @ Flatbread!

So, everyone come up and ladies sign up to kick-start your climbing summer! It's THE weekend to be up here!

IMCS: 603.356.7064
EMS: 800.310.4504

Conrad Anker & Partner Plan to Recreate Mallory's Everest Attempt:
Anker and partner Leo Houlding plan to retrace George Mallory's route up the mountain's Chinese face, said Ang Tshering Sherpa, president of the Nepal Mountaineering Association. Anker was the leader of a team who found Mallory's body in 1999, 620 meters (2,030 feet) below the summit. Irvine's body has never been found. Anker's plan is to do the climb in replicas of Mallory's and Irvine's original clothes. They also plan to remove the ladders and ropes permanently affixed on the Hillary Step. According to local trekking agency Mountain Experience, Anker's team expects to begin next week. A record number of climbers have been on Everest this year. 514 have reached the summit this season alone.

Bug Report:
The bit of extreme weather and cooler temps this week seems to have blown out the bugs, at least for the minute. Temps are warming right back up again & I would expect them to be back out in force by the weekend. Don't put that bug dope away yet.

Mobile Version Of NEClimbs:
Up on one of the Mount Washington Valley's finest crags and want to know what that climb you're looking at is? Or maybe you're on your way up from Boston and want to check out the Ice Report for your upcoming weekend plans. Or more likely, you're at work just want to daydream about your next adventure. Well if you have a smart phone handy, you can get to NEClimbs from anywhere you have cell service. While it doesn't offer every single feature of the site and it's not an "app", in mobile form, it does do a whole lot and is very useful. Here is the live link to the mobile version of NEClimbs:

Check it out and if you have issues on your specific phone, please feel free to let me know.

NEClimbs & White Mountain Report On Facebook:
Join us and LIKE us on Facebook. I'll try and post some interesting pix every Thursday and the latest Ice Report in the season, tho certainly not the whole Report. Here's where you can check it out:

Climbing is a very dangerous sport. You can get hurt or even kill yourself. When you go climbing, you do so of your own free will. Everything on this site is to be taken with a grain of salt. Don't blame us if you get up some totally heinous route, in over your head and fall and hurt yourself.